Wilhelm lorenz



.(No Model.)

y W. LORENZ. Y

x PERCUSSION LOCK. No. 417,432. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

i ATENT Ormes.

VILHELM LORENZ, OF CARLSRUHE, BADEN, GERMANY.

PERCUSSION-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,432, dated December 17, 1889.

Application filed February 11, 1888. Serial No. 268,707.

(No model.) Patented in France November 26, 1887, No. 187,229 in Belgium November 26,1887, No.79,678,' in Norway November 26, 1887, No. 731; in England November 26,1887, No.16,292;

N in Germany November 30,1887, No. 48,449; in Italy December 3l, 1887,

and in Austria-HungaryApril 24, 1888, No. 48 037, and No. 11,354.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W'ILHELM LORENZ, of Carlsruhe, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, in the Empire of Germany, have invent-ed a certain new and useful Improvement in Percussion-Looks for Breech-Loading Ordnance, of which the following is a specication, and which has been already made the subject of patents, as follows: France, November 26, 1887, No. 187,229; Belgium, November 26, 1887, No. 79,678; Norway, November 26, 1887, No. 731; Great Britain, November 26, 1887, No. 16,292; Germany, November 30, 1887, No. 43,449; Italy, December 81, 1887, vol. 44, N o. 488; Spain, April 24, 1888, tome 5, ad. folio 15, No. 12,382, and Austria-Hungary, April 24, 1888, tomev 38, folio 1,164, No. 48,037, and tome XXII, folio 1,150, No. 11,354.

This invention relates to firing-gears of breech-loading guns which are provided with laterally-reciprocating wedge breech-closers, and more particularly to such tiring-gears in which the striking-bolt is cocked by means of a cooking-shaft, the turning of which shaft `5 is made dependent on the turning of the breech-screw, which serves. the wedge breechcloser.

The improvement consists in cutting or otherwise producing one ormore teeth on the o threads of the breech-screw, which tooth or teeth gear into a corresponding gear of one or more teeth provided on the cooking-shaft.

The improvement further consists in employing a locking bolt which arrests the striking-bolt or striker after the cooking of the same by the cocking-shaft and retains it in its cocked position till the locking-bolt is withdrawn, whereupon it is thrown forward against the cap of the cartridge. The setting o free of the striker from the locking-bolt is eected by pulling the locking-bolt by means of a lanyard or iiring-line. Any accidental slipping out of the locking-bolt is prevented by special safety contrivauces, as hereinafter described. i The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

XLIV, 488; in Spain April 24, 1888, No. 12,382,

through the rear portion of the gun, showing the breech open and the tiring-pin and its accessories in the cocked position. This sec- -tion is a little out of plane, as will presently appear.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section. The remaining figures represent parts detached. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line o: in Fig'l. Fig. 4 is a similar section on the line y y in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the breech wedge-block. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on the line z e' in Fig. 1. It shows the cocked position. Fig. 7 is an end view of the sliding breechblock or closing-wedge with the coveringplate removed. Fig. 8 is an end view of the locking-disk and its immediately adjacent parts unlocked. Fig. 9 shows the same locked. The remaining gures show modifications. Fig. 10 is a rear View of the breech-wedge slightly modified. Fig. 11 is an end View of the same. of the same. Fig. 13 is an end view of a modification unlocked. Fig.- 14 shows the same locked. Fig. 15 is a side view of certain part-s modified. Fig. 16 is a corresponding view of another modification. Fig. 17 is a section showingv a modication of certain portions of the cooking-gear at half-cock. Fig. 18 is a section of the same cocked.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they occur.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive, two threads ce of the breech-screw A are provided with teeth a a', which gear into the teeth b of the cooking-shaft B. When the breechscrew A is turned in the direction of arrow I, Fig. 7, which turning induces the opening of the breech, the cooking-shaft is by the gear a b turned in the direction of arrow II, and by means of a cam b 011 the cooking-shaft the striking-bolt C is drawn back into the cocked position against the force of the firing-spring C. (See Fig. 1.) During this backward movement of the striking-bolt the same, by the Fig.` 12 is a vertical cross-section" bevel-faced projection c, forces back the bevelfaced projection d of the locking-bolt D until they pass one another. In this condition the locking-spring d forces the locking-bolt into the position shown in Fig. l, preventing the striking-bolt from moving forward. Now, after sliding out the liberated wedge-block K, removing the cartridge-shell, substituting a fresh cartridge, and returning the wedgeblock nearly to its closed position, the breechscreWA may be turned back in the direction opposite to that of the arrow I, which turning induces the closing of the wedge into the gun without influencing in any way the cocked position of the striking-bolt. By this movement the cooking-shaftB is turned back into its initial position, during which movement.

the cam b of the cooking-shaft moves idly without affecting the striking-bolt C, as shown in Fig. 6. Care must be taken to leave it so that the cam b is out of contact. When the breech-screw A has been completely turned back and the breech of the gun thereby securely closed, the cooking-shaft B has reached its initial position and the gun is ready for firing. The striking-bolt C can move forward as soon as it is set free from the locking-bolt D,being nowise impeded by the cam b. The spring d exerts a constant force to urge the locking-bolt D toward and into engagement with the striking-bolt C.

In order that the projections c d may always retain their respective positions toward each other, the striking-bolt C is guided by a ridge c in a corresponding groove in the wedge K, and the locking-bolt is guided by its square part d2 in the correspondinglyshaped hole in the plate E. The locking-bolt on its end which is presented beyond the plate E is provided with a hooked firing-button da. The locking-bolt is guided in a direction oblique to the wedge-block, so that the lanyard or firing-line II extends past the crank A without obstruction. The hooked firing-button d3 touches another button f3, which button is similarly shaped and securely fastened to the plate E. Thereby an opening is formed, into which the hook h of the firing-line H can be placed. By pulling this line the locking-bolt, with the button d3, moves in the direction of the arrow III until the hook h slips out of the opening between L3 and f3. At this same moment the lockingbolt liberates the striking-bolt, and the latter springs forward and the gun is fired.

The securing of the locking-bolt against accidental detaching is effected in the following manner. On the plate E is provided a movable disk F, with a lever or crank f. It. is capable of being turned on the axis f as a pivot. It engages a notch d'1 of the lockingbolt and prevents the same from being drawn out when the disk is turned by means of the small leverf. (Shown in Figs. S and 9.) For better securing the parts in this position an enlargement or dog` g on the spring g is held in the notch f2 on the disk F.

In order to fire the gun, the arresting part of the disk F must be turned out of the notch d4, which operation will be effected by turning the lever finto the position shown in Figs. 1 and 8, and thereby the notch f2 of the disk F permits the locking-bolt to pass. This position of the disk F is secured by the engaging of the spring g into a second notch f4 of the disk F. v

The above-mentioned button f3 is made in one with the leverv or crank It is capable of being turned on the plate The proper relation of the button f3 to the firing-button d3 is obtained when the crank has been brought into the position shown in Fig. l. The gun can only be fired after having, by turning the lever f, presented the button f3 for engaging the firing-hook and presented the notch f2 to the locking-bolt, so as to allow it to pass by the disk F. In other words, the readiness for firing is made visible bythe condition of the opening in which the firinghook may be engaged. Any different position of ffii does not permit the pulling off of the locking-bolt, as the same in any other position of these parts would be arrested by the disk F, and, moreover, the hook h would slip off the firing-button d3 without moving the locking-bolt D.

The separate operations of cooking the gun and of pulling the striking-bolt lying in the large end of the transversely-movable closingwedge offer a great safeguard against an accidental discharge of the gun, for after cocking the striking-bolt and arresting the same by the locking-bolt the breech-screw A and the cocking-shat't B may be turned at will without iufluencin g thereby the striking-bolt until the same is made free from the lockingbolt. The striking-bolt will be effectively driven forward when the hook of the firingline has left the firing-button. I

Modifications may be made. The lockingbolt may be guided in a direction parallel to the straight wedge sides toward the strikingbolt, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. In this case two hooked firing-buttons d3 d3 are provided. This arrangement allows the firinghook h to be attached above or beneath the crank A.

Fig. 12 shows the position of the lockingbolt and its spring d when the closing-plate is removed.

Instead of the turning-screw f, any other known means may be employed-as, for instance, a pivot secured against longitudinal dislocation, or any other means.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 10 and l1 the two buttons f3 f3 are separated from the crank f and fastened immovably to the plate E. The firing-buttons d3 cl3 of the locking-bolt, on account of the square part guiding d2, tion.

In Figs. 13 and 1-1 are shown, on a somewhat amplified scale, the safety-disk F with the crank f, and their positions relatively to the locking-bolt.

Instead of providing the threads of the breech-screw A with several teeth, as in Figs. 1, 7, and 12, or with one tooth,and the cocking-shaft also with one tooth, as in Figs. 17 and 18, there may be provided behind or be- A fore the plate E a special toothed segment or Wheel a a2, gearing into corresponding teeth on the cooking-shaft B, as shown in Figs. and 16. The locking-bolt D With' spring Cl', the safety-disk F with crank f, the buttons f3, and the safety-spring g, may also be changed in construction and position Without departing from the principle or sacricing the advantages of the invention. The forms here represented I regard as the simplest and best realization of the invention.

I claim as my invention* 1. The breech-screw A, having gear-teeth in one or more of the outermost threads, in combination with the gear-teeth b', cookingshaft B, and cam l), and with the strikingbolt @engaged and released by said cam, and with the breech-Wedge K, all arranged for joint operation as herein specified.

2. In a breech-loading gun, the locking-bolt D and its spring d', in combination with the breech-Wedge K, striking-bolt C, and cookingretain always the same relative posi-4 shaft B b, arranged for joint operation to draw the striker C backward by the cam b and to hold it until released by operating the looking-bolt D against the force of its spring d', substantially as herein specified.

3. In a breech-loading gun, the safety-disk F, having the recess f4 and turning means f, in combination with the locking-bolt D, striking-bolt C, and cooking means B b, arranged to serve by holding the locking-bolt against withdrawing until the disk F is turned in a certain position, substantially as herein specified.

4. In a breech-loading gun, the spring g, having an enlargement or dog g', in combination with the safety-disk F, locking-bolt D, striking-bolt C, and cooking means B, arranged for joint operation to insure the holding of the parts in the required positions, substantially as herein specifiec.

5. In a breech-loading gun, the safety-disk F, having the buttons f3 and the operatinglever f, in combination with the locking-bolt D, having the button d3, and With the strikling-bolt C, arranged as shown, so as to engage and release the lanyard H and firinghook h, as herein specied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my naine in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

- WILHELM LORENZ.v lVitnesses:

B. Rol, C. GRONERT. 

